"Paper or plastic" is an expression commonly heard by anyone checking out of a grocery store today. However, for years before stores started using plastic bags, the only option available to consumers was to use the brown paper bags, either in single strength or in doubled-up for over-stuffing strength. While these bags were inconvenient as being difficult to lift, transport, store, and fold, they did offer an additional use as a waste receptacle liner. Noticing major difficulty associated with carrying and transporting groceries in these paper bags, the grocery stores began using thin plastic bags with handles and unknowingly gave birth to the expression "paper or plastic". As people began to realize the advantages offered by plastic bags, in that they are easier to carry, easier to store, and are kinder to trees, popularity grew.
Since the plastic bags' handles made them easier to carry, multiple bags can now be transported without using the two arm-four bag technique mastered by anyone shopping in the "paper" era. The ease in carrying multiple bags has not come without sacrifice. The weight associated with carrying many bags creates an uncomfortable pressure on the palm of the hand as the weight of the bags squeezes the hand into a painful concave position.
In an effort to alleviate these problem and additionally provide added comfort, Stewart in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,235 and Dieterich, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,926 disclose two similar devices for carrying bags. The two devices are rigid, elongated, straight members which contain slots at the ends to hold the bag's handles and are narrow to fit inside the palm of a hand.
Other U.S. Patents in this area include U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,640 issued to Enerson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,619 issued to Salazar, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,758 issued to Howell. Enerson's handle incorporates a rigid, elongated member evenly slotted on a side to accept the bags' handles and is elongated to fit into the palm of a hand.
Salazar discloses a handle for carrying multiple bags in an elongate tubular member incorporating outwardly diverging panels to facilitate the handle's entrance into the device.
Howell's handle incorporates a tubular member, elongated and having a slot spiraling through its body. Bag handles are inserted by rotating the tube with the handle at the beginning of the slot. The tube is narrow so that the apparatus is easily carried.
However, none of these references show a handle which is both flexible for carrying many bags or other other articles having different sized handles which is also supporting.